What Is Domain Privacy Protection? | Bluehost Support
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What Is Domain Privacy Protection?

Overview

Thanks to the WHOIS database, anyone registering a domain has their name, email address, phone number, and even home address publicly available online. This happens because all domain name owners are required by law to give their contact information. 

Most individuals use Domain Privacy Protection because they want their personal contact information to be invisible to the public so that fraudsters, hackers, and others may view it. Your confidential contact information will be replaced with generic contact information and hidden from the public WHOIS database using Bluehost's Domain Privacy + Protection service. Your personal contact information can be protected, but you are still the domain name's owner. 

Domain Privacy + Protection protects you from: 

  1. Spam and other unsolicited emails.
  2. Unwanted phone calls and postal mail.
  3. Identity theft.
  4. Fraudulent domain transfers.
  5. Competitors can look up which domains they own.
  6. Malware and SEO blacklists.

Note: This article explains the split experience between the Account Manager and Bluerock platforms when adding Domain Privacy Protection to domains through your Bluehost account. Please see Account Manager vs. Rock to learn more.

Here is the list of topics you can click on this article to learn about: 

Certain TLDs Do Not Support Domain Privacy 

Not all domain extensions (TLDs) will allow you to have domain privacy. Each registry sets its own rules. Most ccTLDs (country code top-level domains like .us, .ca, .uk) do not allow WHOIS protection.   No owner of a.us domain can opt out of having their information made public was announced in March 2005 by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). 

GDPR Domain Masking

Domain Privacy will offer an additional layer of protection on top of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) regulation that protects you as a client. For example, some registrars have trusted vendors who still have access to data associated with a domain even though that data isn't listed publicly. Adding domain privacy will keep all your information private. Further details regarding this service can be found in our Domain Registration Agreement.

How to Add Domain Privacy + Protection

Account Manager

Existing Domains

  1. Log in to your Bluehost Account Manager.
  2. On the Account Manager homepage, you can either do the following steps below: 
    1. Click the PROTECT MY INFO button and follow the steps below:
      1. Wait for the Domain Privacy Protection pop-up appears.
      2. Click the BUY NOW button.
    2. Click the Domain Name tab and do the following steps: 
      1. Select the domain where you wish to enable Domain Privacy Protection if you have multiple domains.
      2. Click the ▼ icon on the far right of the Domain Contacts section to expand the option.
      3. Click the TURN ON button, and a pop-up will show. 
      4. Click the BUY NOW button.
    3. Click the MARKETPLACE tab on the lower left, find the Domain Privacy Protection, and then click CLAIM OFFER.

New Domains

  1. Log in to your Bluehost Account Manager.
  2. On the Find a Domain section in the Account Manager dashboard, do the following steps:  
    1. In the Search field, type the domain name you want the Domain Privacy Protection to be added.
    2. Click the SEARCH button.
  3. Once the desired domain is found, do the following steps below: 
    1. Tick the BOX next to Add Private Registration to each domain for $15/year.
    2. Click the CONTINUE button. 
  4. Lastly, click the SUBMIT & PROCESS PAYMENT button to process the payment if you have finalized the items the customer wants to purchase on the checkout page.

Bluerock

  1. Log in to your Bluehost control panel.
  2. Once logged in, do the following steps below: 
    1. Click the Marketplace tab.
    2. Click the Add-ons drop-down menu option. 
  3. Then select Domain Privacy + Protection from the list of add-ons, and you'll be set to add it to your domain.

Important Note: Customers who want to buy Domain Privacy through Bluehost must have a domain actively registered with Bluehost. Suppose your domain is not registered with us. In that case, you can look into transferring your domain (to know more about transferring a domain, please see: How To Transfer a Domain Name To Us) or consult your domain registrar for protection options. 

FAQs

Q: How does Domain Privacy + Protect protect my personal information?

A: Domain Privacy + Protect masks any personal information displayed on the ICANN directory with generic contact information

Q: How does the Domain Privacy + Protect Malware Scanner work?

A: Once installed, the Malware Scanner automatically checks your site every 24 hours, detecting malware and notifying you before it causes problems.

Q: What kind of notifications will I receive about my domain?

A: You decide what critical actions you want to be notified about, and we'll send you SMS notifications to keep you updated. That way, you'll know if there are any unauthorized attempts to purchase, re-register, or move your domain.

If you need further assistance, feel free to contact us via Chat or Phone:

  • Chat Support - While on our website, you should see a CHAT bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Click anywhere on the bubble to begin a chat session.
  • Phone Support -
    • US: 888-401-4678
    • International: +1 801-765-9400

You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.